In the current state of the art, designing and building a high-voltage or high-frequency or high-power transformer is not a problem. However, designing and building a transformer that includes these three characteristics simultaneously represents an enormous challenge, due to the conflicting requirements of each of the aforementioned characteristics.
A high-voltage transformer requires a high degree of insulation between its primary and secondary windings (large distance separating the high- and low-voltage windings or large thickness of the insulators). This separation between windings reduces the magnetic coupling between the two and therefore leakage reactance increases, limiting the power output.
A high-frequency transformer requires a very good coupling between the primary and secondary windings in order to achieve acceptable efficiency and for the power output not to be limited by a poorly efficient coupling (excessive reactance between the primary and secondary winding). To fulfil this requirement, the distance between the primary and secondary windings must be as short as possible (which is exactly the opposite to what is required for a High-Voltage transformer). Also, the higher the operating frequency, the better the coupling needs to be, because the reactance between the windings is directly proportional to the frequency.
A high-power transformer requires the impedance of the windings to be very small and the reactance between the two to be sufficiently low so as not to limit the power output. This reactance is minimized when the coupling between the primary and secondary windings increases, i.e. when the two windings are close to each other (which is exactly the opposite to what is required for a High-Voltage transformer). Moreover, the higher the power output or operating frequency, the better the coupling must be, because the reactance between the windings is directly proportional to the frequency.
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to develop a transformer which is simultaneously high-voltage, high-frequency and high-power, wherein the insulation and magnetic coupling requirements are such that the objectives pursued can be achieved by developing a transformer like the one described below, the essence of which is set out in claim one.